Conventional home and small business HVAC and appliance systems operate in response to settings or demands made by the home owner or other consumer of electric energy. The user simply chooses the parameters (e.g. temperature and on-off times) for the various HVAC components and appliances. This choice is made essentially on the basis of the consumer's conception of comfort. Energy costs are a secondary factor in the choice, or are ignored.
Energy is wasted and energy costs increased by such choices. For example, the home may be heated or cooled to a particular temperature throughout the day, even though it is not used most of the time. Moreover, the home may be heated or cooled during time periods when energy cost is the highest, again even though no one is at home at the time. By way of another example, an electric hot water heater or other electrical energy using apparatus may be operated when energy costs are the highest and the operation is not necessary.
In short, presently available appliances and HVAC systems are usually activated and deactivated without consideration of the energy costs involved. There is no communication system linking the power company and the home, so that on-going or present utility rates are not known by the consumer. Accordingly, the consumer cannot select alternate, cost saving operating cycles for appliances and HVAC systems.